Lifting watercolor can change the way you approach your painting, whether you’re correcting an error or adding texture.

So, what is lifting technique in watercolor painting? It’s a method where you remove or lighten pigment after it’s applied to the paper, either while wet or dry.

The ability to control and lift watercolor opens up creative possibilities, allowing for clean highlights, soft edges, and the recovery of lost details.

This article will guide you through everything you need to know about the lifting technique.

From choosing the right materials—like lifting brushes, sponges, and kneaded erasers—to understanding how staining pigments and non-staining pigments affect the process.

You’ll also learn how to avoid common pitfalls like damaging cotton watercolor paper or overworking a piece. By the end, you’ll have a clear grasp of how to use lifting to enhance your watercolor paintings.

Understanding the Fundamentals of Lifting Watercolor

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What is Lifting in Watercolor?

Lifting in watercolor is a straightforward technique. It’s used to remove or lighten paint already applied to the paper.

Whether you’re aiming to soften an edge, correct an error, or create highlights, the principle remains the same: you’re pulling the pigment off the paper using various tools or materials.

Tools and Materials for Lifting

Brushes: You can use a stiff-bristled brush to lift wet or dry paint. A lifting brush works particularly well for this, allowing more precision without damaging the paper’s surface.

Sponges and Paper Towels: These are effective when you’re dealing with larger areas. Blotting excess pigment with a sponge or an absorbent paper towel is especially useful when the paint is still wet.

Kneaded Erasers: When the paint is dry, kneaded erasers can gently remove color from the surface. It’s a delicate process, but useful for lifting small sections or creating texture.

Wet Lifting vs. Dry Lifting

The timing of when you lift watercolor makes a big difference in the outcome.

  • Wet lifting: This method involves removing paint while it’s still wet. It gives a soft, diffuse result and is helpful for adjusting color intensity or softening edges.
  • Dry lifting: This technique is more controlled. The paint is fully dry, and you’re working with tools like brushes, sponges, or even erasers. You get sharper, more precise results when working with dry pigment, but it requires more effort.

Lifting Staining vs. Non-Staining Pigments

Pigment type matters. Non-staining pigments, like certain transparent watercolors, are much easier to lift since they don’t deeply bind with the paper’s fibers.

On the other hand, staining pigments sink into the paper more permanently. Lifting these is more difficult, and often, you’ll never remove them entirely. Always check the pigment’s characteristics before applying.

Watercolor Paper and Lifting

Not all watercolor paper reacts the same. Cold press paper has more texture, which can trap pigment, making it harder to lift.

Hot press paper is smoother and allows for easier lifting. If you’re planning to use the lifting technique extensively in a painting, choose your paper wisely—cotton watercolor paper offers the most flexibility in lifting.

Common Mistakes in Lifting Watercolor

Overworking the Paper: This happens when you scrub or lift too much, damaging the paper’s surface. Once the surface is worn down, it becomes harder to control future washes or details.

Lifting with the Wrong Tool: Using a rough tool like a hard brush or eraser on wet paper can cause tearing or pilling.

Similarly, pressing too hard when lifting dry paint can damage the paper fibers, especially on delicate surfaces like hot press or lightweight papers.

Choosing the Wrong Pigments: Some pigments are harder to lift. If you’re using a lot of staining pigments, you might find yourself struggling to remove them later.

Techniques for Lifting Watercolor at Different Stages

Lifting Watercolor While Wet

Lifting watercolor while it’s still wet is probably the most flexible. You can lighten or remove pigment quickly, with minimal damage to the paper.

Brushes are your best friend here. A damp, lifting brush with soft but firm bristles can gently absorb the excess pigment without scratching the surface.

It’s all about timing, though. Too early, and you’re just smearing. Wait too long, and the pigment starts to settle.

A sponge or blotting paper works when you need to lighten larger areas. But remember, blotting is different than scrubbing. Blotting lifts pigment evenly, while scrubbing might ruin the surface.

I tend to go for a blotting approach to preserve the paper texture, especially when working on something like cold press watercolor paper. You still get the granulation of the pigment, but with more control over the light areas.

Lifting Watercolor While Damp

Here, timing is everything. If the paint is damp, you can still lift pigment without much trouble, but it’s more challenging than when wet. At this stage, pigment begins settling into the fibers of the cotton watercolor paper.

This is where kneaded erasers or a stiff-bristled brush can help. They can lift pigment with a bit more force than wet techniques, but again, don’t scrub.

Use light pressure to avoid damaging the paper. Staining pigments at this stage can be tricky—sometimes they leave behind a faint ghost of color no matter how much you lift.

Lifting Watercolor After It Dries

Once dry, lifting becomes more of a fight. The pigment is bound to the paper.

Non-staining pigments can still be lifted, especially on smooth surfaces like hot press paper, but staining pigments? Forget about it. You might remove a bit, but don’t expect a pristine white surface again.

Dry lifting requires more specialized tools. Synthetic brushes with firm bristles can help, especially when you’re trying to fix small mistakes.

If you’re working on a watercolor block, the stability it offers gives you more control for precise lifting.

For larger areas, a lifting sponge or kneaded eraser might do the trick, but at this point, you’re likely affecting the underlying layers.

If you’re not careful, you’ll end up overworking the paper. This happens when you keep going back in with brushes, sponges, or paper towels, creating an uneven surface. Once that happens, future washes won’t behave the same way.

Choosing the Right Materials for Effective Lifting

Paper Types

The paper you use will determine how easily you can lift pigment. Cold press watercolor paper has more texture, which means it holds onto the paint a little tighter. Lifting here requires more finesse.

On the other hand, hot press paper has a smoother surface, making it easier to remove pigment without damaging the fibers.

If you’re serious about lifting techniques, cotton watercolor paper gives the most flexibility and durability. It can handle multiple lift attempts without breaking down.

Brushes

The lifting brush is not just any brush. You need one with firm bristles but not so rough that it tears the surface.

Synthetic brushes tend to be a good choice for this. A stiff-bristled brush can work when you need to scrub a little harder, but you’ll want to watch the pressure. Overworking the paper with too much force ruins the surface texture.

Sponges and Towels

For larger areas, nothing beats a sponge or a good paper towel. A lifting sponge can absorb pigment quickly, without the harshness of a brush.

Paper towels, especially blotting paper, are ideal for lifting wet watercolor when you’re trying to keep things soft.

They’re also easy to control. But be careful with blotting—apply too much pressure, and you can accidentally pull up more than you want, damaging the wet surface.

Erasers

When the paint is dry, kneaded erasers are useful. They give you precision without the risk of tearing up the paper.

You can mold them into different shapes to target specific areas, and they’re less likely to leave a harsh edge, unlike other erasers.

This works well on hot press paper, where the smooth surface allows for cleaner removal.

Pigments

Not all pigments lift the same way. Non-staining pigments are your friend here. They sit on the surface and can be removed almost entirely, even after drying. Staining pigments, however, are another story.

Once they’re on the paper, especially on something like cold press paper, good luck getting them off. You might lighten them, but full removal is a challenge.

Advanced Lifting Techniques and Tips

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Using Masking Fluid for Controlled Lifting

If you want to ensure areas remain untouched, especially when planning to lift later, masking fluid is essential. It’s simple: apply the fluid to the areas you want to protect, paint over it, then remove the mask.

This method allows for sharper highlights or shapes, giving you more control. I like using it for fine details where lifting by hand would be too risky. Just make sure to remove the fluid carefully—cold press paper can tear if you’re not gentle.

Glazing and Lifting Together

Combining glazing and lifting can create interesting depth and texture. First, you lay down a wash, let it dry, and then lift selectively. After that, apply a glaze of transparent watercolor over the lifted areas.

The layering of color and lift creates tonal variation that can’t be achieved by applying pigment alone.

This works best with non-staining pigments since they allow for cleaner lifting, but it requires patience. You have to wait for each layer to fully dry before lifting or glazing again.

Lifting for Texture and Highlights

Lifting isn’t just for correcting mistakes. I use it as a technique to create textures and highlights, especially when working with watercolor washes.

For example, after applying a wash, a quick lift with a kneaded eraser or a damp sponge can introduce textures that look almost organic.

This works well for clouds, foliage, or water effects. The unpredictability of how the water-to-pigment ratio shifts during lifting adds a certain liveliness to the painting.

Softening Edges with Lifting

Hard edges aren’t always what you want, especially in landscapes or portraits where subtle transitions are key.

Lifting with a slightly damp brush can soften edges without losing detail. This is especially effective on hot press paper since the smooth surface helps achieve a seamless transition.

You can blend the pigment back into the surrounding areas or remove it altogether depending on the look you want.

Avoiding Overworking

The biggest risk? Overworking the paper. Lifting can quickly turn from helpful to destructive if you’re not careful.

Watercolor paper can only take so much lifting before it starts to break down, especially cotton watercolor paper.

Once the fibers start to lift, it’s game over. You’ll get uneven surfaces that won’t accept more paint properly, and any further lifting will just damage it further.

Practical Applications of Lifting in Watercolor Painting

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Correcting Mistakes

Lifting is a lifesaver when you mess up a wash or accidentally go too dark. If your paint is still wet, a sponge or paper towel can quickly lighten the area. But if it’s dry, you’ll need a lifting brush or a kneaded eraser.

Dry lifting takes more effort, especially with staining pigments. Always test first—overworking can tear up your cotton watercolor paper and make it harder to fix the damage.

Creating Highlights

Sometimes, you need bright highlights where you didn’t plan for them. Lifting helps bring those out, especially if you’re dealing with non-staining pigments.

A well-placed lift with a stiff-bristled brush can carve out light from darker tones, making the highlight feel natural. This is especially useful when you’re working on reflective surfaces, like water or glass.

Adding Texture

Lifting isn’t just for erasing—it’s also great for adding texture. Using a blotting paper or a damp lifting sponge can give your watercolor washes more depth.

This is especially true with landscapes, where you need texture for rocks, clouds, or foliage. The trick is to lift when the wash is damp, not soaking wet, so you get a textured result instead of a blotchy one.

Softening Hard Edges

If you’ve got harsh lines where you don’t want them, lifting can soften the transition. A slightly wet brush or a synthetic brush works best for this, allowing you to lift without completely removing the paint.

This technique is useful when blending backgrounds or creating softer edges in portraits. The smoother surface of hot press paper makes softening edges easier without disturbing the surrounding paint.

Recovering Lost Details

In complex compositions, details can get buried under layers of watercolor glazing. Lifting out certain areas can restore focus or add back missing details.

For example, if a transparent watercolor wash dulled an important part of your subject, you can lift some pigment to bring it back. But you’ve got to be careful with the pigment granulation—lifting too aggressively can disrupt the natural look of the paint.

FAQ on What Is Lifting Technique In Watercolor Painting

What is the lifting technique in watercolor painting?

Lifting is a process where you remove or lighten pigment from the paper after it’s been applied. This can be done while the paint is wet or dry.

The technique is useful for creating highlights, correcting mistakes, or adjusting tonal values in your watercolor artwork.

Can I lift watercolor after it dries?

Yes, but it’s more challenging. You’ll need a lifting brush or kneaded eraser to work the dried pigment off the surface.

Non-staining pigments are easier to lift when dry, but staining pigments will be much harder to remove. Patience and the right tools are key.

Does lifting damage the watercolor paper?

It can if you’re too aggressive. Cold press paper and cotton watercolor paper can handle light lifting, but overworking the surface can lead to tearing or rough textures.

Always use gentle pressure, especially when working with delicate surfaces like hot press paper.

What tools should I use for lifting watercolor?

You can use a variety of tools depending on the size and detail of the area. A lifting brush, blotting paper, or kneaded eraser work well.

Sponges are great for larger areas, while fine details require a more delicate touch, often with smaller, stiff brushes.

Can I lift watercolor from all types of pigments?

Not all pigments lift equally. Non-staining pigments are easier to remove, while staining pigments tend to bond with the fibers of the paper.

It’s important to know your materials before starting a painting to avoid unexpected results when lifting is needed.

How do I lift watercolor to create highlights?

To create highlights, use a damp lifting brush or sponge to gently remove pigment from the areas you want to lighten.

This works best when the paint is still slightly wet. If it’s dry, a kneaded eraser can help regain some of the white of the paper.

Is it possible to lift watercolor multiple times in the same spot?

Yes, but be careful. Repeated lifting can damage the surface of cotton watercolor paper, especially on rougher textures like cold press paper.

Once the paper fibers start to break down, further applications of paint or lifting become much harder to control.

Can lifting be used to soften edges?

Absolutely. Lifting is great for softening harsh edges. A damp brush or lifting sponge can blur the transition between colors.

This technique works well on hot press paper, where the smooth surface helps blend colors without disturbing too much pigment at once.

What’s the best time to lift watercolor?

The best time to lift is when the paint is still damp. You have more control, and the pigment hasn’t fully bonded to the paper yet.

However, even after the paint dries, non-staining pigments can still be lifted with the right tools and enough care.

Can lifting be used for texture effects in watercolor?

Yes, lifting can add texture. By lifting while the paint is still damp, you can create interesting textures for areas like clouds, rocks, or foliage.

Using a sponge or blotting paper in a controlled manner can give your painting a more dynamic, textured appearance.

Conclusion

Understanding what is lifting technique in watercolor painting is crucial for controlling your work and adding refinement to your final piece.

It’s a versatile method that allows for corrections, highlights, texture, and edge softening.

Whether you’re using lifting brushes, sponges, or a kneaded eraser, choosing the right tools and knowing your paper—like cold press or hot press paper—makes all the difference.

Mastering the ability to lift pigment can help you create depth, recover lost details, and bring precision to your work.

However, keep in mind the limits of your materials, particularly when dealing with staining pigments or fragile paper fibers.

Overworking the surface is always a risk, especially with cotton watercolor paper.

By carefully using the lifting technique, you’ll enhance your watercolor paintings and gain more control over the final outcome.

Author

Bogdan Sandu is the editor of Russell Collection. He brings over 30 years of experience in sketching, painting, and art competitions. His passion and expertise make him a trusted voice in the art community, providing insightful, reliable content. Through Russell Collection, Bogdan aims to inspire and educate artists of all levels.

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